Reinforced pallet



Fb- 2, 1960 A. F. GARBARINO REINFORCED PALLET Filed Jan. :5, 1955 Il. al|||||| 11| lll IIIIPL REINFORCED PALLET nerico Frank Garbarino, West Acton, Mass., assignor to Lewis-Shepard Company, Watertown, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application January 3, 1955, Serial No. 479,470

3 Claims. (Cl. 248-120) j goods constantly being piled thereon and removed therefrom, and the pallets are repeatedly lifted, transferred anddeposited by a lift truck. Being customarily manufactured of wood, the pallets become worn and eventually broken under normal use, necessitating 'purchase of 4new pallets. While the structural strength of the pallets may be improved by use of more durable materials, there has been a continuous compromise between cost and quality of the pallets due to the fact that the number of pallets that may be in use in a given installation may be so large that the total cost becomes a material factor in determining the economic practicability of a lift truck transfer system. j

For this Vreason the usual pallet is of simple construction, usually involving two or three parallel stringers such as two by fours across which are nailed a series of 1'I boards in either edge to edge or spaced relation. lObviously the warping and twisting of the pallet as it is raised and lowered by the lift truck causes the nails to give slightly, weakening the pallet and making possible damage to the goods carried on the pallet. Continued use thereafter under similar rigorous conditions causes even greater deterioration, eventually rsulting in splitting of the boards and ultimate scrapping of thelpallets.

While the life of such pallets has been extended by inexpensive improvements of the type described and illustrated in the co-pending application of Charles S.` White and A. Frank Garbarino Serial No. 381,374 filed September 21, 1953, for improvements in Pallets, now Patent No. 2,817,485, there nevertheless remains the desirability of providing additional strength or support, particularly at the center or intermediate Stringer of pallets comprising three or more stringers.

Accordingly I have designed an improved construc- 'tion for pallets adapted in particular'to increase the strength of pallets comprising more than two stringers; however, it is to be understood that my improved construction is also applicable to pallets comprising only two stringers.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide an improved pallet capable of withstanding prolonged use, the present invention being applicable to pallets of various sizes.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a pallet embodying the present invention; Y

Fig, 2 is an enlarged end view of the pallet of Fig. l;

United States Patent O if Patentedlieb.` 2, 1960 Before describing the present invention in detail it will be understood that it is applicable to pallets of varying dimension in which the horizontal dimension may, for example, be in the order of 34 x 48 or 48 x 48 while the overall vertical dimension may be on the order of 5 to 6". It is also understood that while the invention is illustrated in connection with pallets having three stringers, it is also applicable to pallets having only two or more than three stringers. v

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a typical double faced pallet comprising three parallel members or stringers 2, 4, and 6, held in spaced relation to each other by a plurality of upper and lower boards 10 and 12 respectively. Cross pieces 10 and 12 are provided with diagonal sloping grooves 14 and 16 respectively which run parallel to the stringers 2, 4, and 6. Along the opposite sides of the pallet are reinforcing members comv prising a rst pair of channel irons 18 and 20, and a second pair of identical channel irons 22 and 24. These angle irons are each provided with inturned flanges 26 which reside in grooves 14 and 16. The members of each pair of channel irons are connected together by screws or nails 2S which force the vertical portions of the channel irons into tight frictional engagement with the side stringers 2 and 6. Screws 28 prevent the chann el irons from separating so as to maintain the inturned anges 26 in grooves 14 and 16. ln this manner the channel irons serve to hold the ends of boards 10 and 12 in lxed relation to the end stringers 2 and 6 so as to permit the pallet to be used repeatedly with a minimum of deterioration. The concept of utilizing channel members for strengthening the-pallets is disclosed in the aforesaid co-pending application of Charles S. White and A. Frank Garbarino, and forms no part of the present invention. Other forms of channel members may be used. A third alternative is to employ no channel members at all, and to secure the ends of the cross pieces to the stringers by means of nails or screws alone.

The boards 10 and 12 are also secured to the upper and lower surfaces of center Stringer 4 by means of nails 30. This is conventional practice and also forms no part of the present invention.

However, since nails alone have proven to be insufficient over a period of prolonged use to prevent the end boards from bending away from the center Stringer 4, it is contemplated according to the present invention to provide additional means for reinforcing the end boards of the upper and lower cross boards 10 and 12 at the opposite ends of the center Stringer 4. While not illustrated it is also to be understood that tbe additional reinforcing means to be hereinafter described may be also employed to reinforce the connection between the end boards of boards 10 and 12 and the side stringers 2 and 6.

Referring specifically now to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, it is contemplated to provide means to which a flexible preferably two-piece metal strap 34, 36, may be attached atfboth the topV and bottom of the center Stringer 4 at positions between the end cross pieces 10 and 12 and the cross pieces 10 and 12 immediately adjacent thereto. The

, `-:waarin ``upper surface of the center stringer 4 and then brought .backgovertits secured `end vto the end of the pallet. The second portion 36 is secured to the bottom cross piece 12 by means of nails or screws 40, and looped about the :portiontof ring 3`25that lrnderlies v;the :bottom': surface of center Stringer 4 in the same fashion. Thexfreetiendsfof the two-sections :ofmetal'strap arethenbroughttogether and drawn toward each other under tension by a suitable .device which: also 'applies V'a .fastening Yelement 42"which ,sais crimped as illustrated"tohold' the 'two portions-of :the `rnetalstrap in seoure'drelation to each-other.' The-metal astrap then operates to prevent the end cross boards Vlland l11'2 from '.exingaway `from .the center. Stringer-41so as to givel thewhole' pallet'greater strength.

A.'Ihesame `assembly is accomplishedatzthe opposite. end '1 ofithe pallet;so'that ibothen'ds of the pallet tare-strengthened to approximately the same degree. In the case .of 4v arpalletlacking the .metal channel Virons overlying thei ends ofltlie'cross'pieces and theside stringers it is'contemplated "that the same means, -the ring 32 and the metallic :strap @comprising sections `2id-and 36 may be employed `to strengthen the connection between the end crosspieces and the side stringers of `the pallet in the same fashion. While the metallic-strapv rides slightly above and below V-theend cross pieces and 12, it has been found ing'practice -that it does not protrude so high as to constitute 'a 'iliazard to the goods loaded on the pallet. The metal `'straps are, of course, quite resistive to wear and are of `sulicient strength to withstand prolonged `aridcrepeated tensioning.

It `is believed apparent that the rneans-V illustrated `in fthe drawings for strengthening the `pallets is inexpensive `tand can vbe applied to pallets already in use aswellas to palletstobe manufactured in the future. A" further advantagelis that thelstraps may be easily appli`ed by -hand in `the manner described hereinabove without requiring -tools or materials of Special designnotfavailableon the :market f `Obviously many modifications and variations ofsthe :present invention are possible in the light'of the above teachings. Therefore, it `is to be understood 'thatthe `invention is not limited in rits application to-the `details f construction and arrangement of partsspecifically described or illustrated.

1 claim: 1. Ina double faced pallet the `improvement comprisinga metallic ring surrounding a Stringer of vsaid` pallet, :ifirst'and second cross-pieces secured to the upper and 4lower surfaces of said same stringerbetween Saidring and the end of said Stringer, a first metallic 4strap element v'secured at one endto the upper surface of said first 'cross piece, 'a second strap element secured at Yonerend to the "lower surface lof said secondA cross piece, Saidrstand second Vstrap elements each being looped aboutsaid ring `and doubled backen their respective cross pieces and the end'of said Stringer, and means securing the free ends of said two strap elements together under tension,=wh`ereby 'to maintain' said cross pieces `in fixedengage'ment with "'Saidfstringer.

.2, In a `pallet comprising astructure havingat least jtwo' stringers with upper and lower surfaces, saidstringers being intparallel spaced relation and having asplurality of rcrosswise extending boards `secured toisaid stringers,tthat mprovementifor making a board at the end of one ofthe Y, ...stringers more `securely .axed ,thereto` comprisingametal Strap means including connecting means and extending in the direction of said Stringer and having one end there-` of secured to said board by headed fasteners passing through said strap and into said board at a position over Said Stringer, an elementattached to said Stringer adjacent the edge of said board that iS remote from the end of said Stringer, said strapjleadingaway from said secured end to pass between said element and the upper surface of said Stringer and then .doubled back toward rthe end 'of said stringerto overlie said fasteners and said board, Said strap then passing' downwardly over the end f said Stringer `and thencerunning inthe direction of t and Aparalled to the lower .surface `of said Stringer, then doubled back around another element to pass between said other element and the said lower surface of saidstringer, thel other end of said Strap secured by other headed fasteners passingrthrough'saidfstrap into `the Stringer atJa position opposite'said first'lheaded fasteners with said kstrap overz-lying Sadther 'headedtfastenerg `Said strap being in sub- Stantial tensiontwh'ile anchored at its ends by said fasteners with-Said fasteners :being in shear only.

3. -Inapallet comprising a structure having at least two Stringers with upper and lower surfaces, said stringers being in-parallel spacedrelation and havinga pluralityfof ,crosswise extending boards secured to the upperand lower 'surfaces of'said stn'ngers, that improvement for making upper and lower boards located vat the end of one of the stringers Vmore `securely affixed thereto comprisinga metal t. strap means :including: connecting means andv extendingin the direction ofsaidtstringer and having one end'thereof` secured to'k the :upper 'board by headed fasteners passing `throughlsaid Ystrap and'into said upper 'board at a position over said Stringer, anfelement attached toSaid Stringer adjacent theedgefof said upper board that is'remote from the end of said Stringer, said strap leadingaway from Said securedend tol pass between said element and the uppersurfaee of Said Stringer and then doubled back toward the end of- Said Stringer to overlie said fasteners and Said upperlboard,tsaid Strap'then passing 'downwardly over the end of Asaid Stringer and thence running in the direction 'of andparallelto the lower surface of Said lower board, then doubled back around another element *to passbetweenfsaid other Aelement and the saidflower` Surface `of vsaid Stringer, the other end of said` strap Secured by'other headed-fasteners passing through said Strap into 'the `lower `board 'at a position opposite said iirSt headed fasteners with said strap overlying saidother headed fasteners, saidstrap being insubStantial tension while anchored at its ends by lSaid fasteners with -1sai Yfasteners being in shear only. t

i ReferencesCitedin thele of this'lpatent` UNTTED STATES PATENTS 

